Attachment for street-cars



(No Model.) 2 sheetsshaet 1.

.J. W. BARNES. ATTACHMENT FOR STREET CARS;

No. 542,037. Patented Jul 2, 1895.

JEZUL za gajvzss (NoModeL) 2 SheetsSheet 2. J. W. BARNES.

ATTACHMENT FOR STREET CARS.

Patented-July 2, 1895.

Inverd'r fifinZUTBdrnes NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, JOHN WV. BARNES, OF ROCKLAND,

MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO STEPHEN CHASE, GEORGE SMITH, MAX ANTIN, AND ALFRED MURREY, OF SAME PLACE, AND CHARLES STIMPSON, OF

THOMASTON, MAINE.

ATTACHMENT FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 542,037, dated J My 2, 1895. Application filed March 18,1895. Serial No. 542,192. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. BARNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock-' land, in the county of Knox and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in StreetCar Attachments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings) My invention is designed as an improvement in electric or other self-driven streetrailway cars, and it relates more particularly to the means for propelling or stopping said carsin slippery places along the tracks where usually the wheels slip and are thus unable to obtain agrip. Heretofore the general practice has been to sprinkle sand upon the tracks at the expense of considerable time and inconvenience, and my improvement is especially designed to avoid such annoyances.

The mechanism comprising my invention and the mode of operating the same will be described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in connection with a car in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the bottom of a car,myinventionbeing attached thereto. Fig. 2 is aside elevation. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views.

A conventional view of a car-bottom is shown at 1, supported in the ordinary manner by the wheels 2 and journaled on the axles 3. Connected to the forward axle by means of the boxing 4, through which the said axle loosely passes, is the frame which comprises the two side-supporting pieces 7 and the cross-pieces 5, connecting the same. The shaft 8 is journaled in the forward ends of these side pieces and carries the wheel 9, pro vided around its periphery with a series of steel spurs'9. These spurs are removably and adjustably held in sockets provided in the periphery of said 'wheels by means of the screws 10. To obtain a better grip upon the frozen or slippery ground or ties, the'spurs are set flaring outwardly. The large sprocketwheel 11 is rigidly attached to or forms part of the spur'wheel 9, and the wheel 11 is connected to a smaller sprocket-wheel rigidly secured to the axle 3 by the chain 12. The forward end of the frame is supported by the flat spring 13, having each end bent at a right angle to the center, formingthe extensions 13, which extend rearwardly and are connected to the ends of the bars 7, the middle portion of said spring being attached to the verticallymoving frame 14. The frame may be made adjustable to permit of its ready attachment to cars of different lengths,

To the front of the dashboard of the car is secured the plate 15, having its lower end bent laterally and secured to the bottom of the car and its upper end held in position by means of the laterally-extending plate 15, secured to the dash near the upper end thereof. Journaled in the plate 15 and the laterallybent end of the plate 15 is the cam 17, grooved spirally and surmounted by the-crank arm 18, provided with a suitable handle.

The before-mentioned frame 14 consists of the double fiat bar 14, and to the intermediate portion of this bar a slotted plate 19 is attached and on this plate is the lug 20-, guided in the grooves of the cam 17. The frame 14 is guided in its vertical movement by the plate 15, working within the slot in the plate 19.

The frame carrying the spur-wheel is normally held raised to keep the spurs outof engagement with the ground by means of the spiral springs 21, connected to the side pieces of said frame and interposed between the same and the bottom of the car. stops or bumpers 22 are provided to limit the upward movement of the frame 13, and the stops depend from the bottom of the car and may be simply ordinary staples. These stops prevent the spur being brought into engage ment with the car-bottoms by the springs 21.

It will be understood that the spur-wheel is constantly rotated during the rotation of the car-wheel, as it. is positivelyconuected to the axle 3, as before described.

To propel a car provided with my attachment, in case the ordinary wheels slip and slide and fail to get a hold the crank-arm carried by the cam 17 is turned, which will force the knob 20 downwardly in the groove in said cam, thus depressing the frame 14 and the ICO frame connected thereto by means of the spring 13,bringing the spurs into engagement with the frozen ground or ice, and by reason of their sharpened points and the manner in which they are set they will firmly grip the slippery surface and force the car along. When the slippery portion has been passed over, the handle of the cam is released and the springs 21 will at once return the parts to their normal position. Q

I find it desirable to have the spur-wheel travel the same distance during one rotation of the car-axle as the car-wheel, and this may be obtained by adjusting the spurs in or out, as the case may necessitate, or by varying the size of the sprockets.

I employ in connection with the frame and spur-wheel carried thereby a novel form of brake to be used to prevent the rotation of the spur-wheel and thereby prevent the forward movement of the car when the wheel is brought into engagement with the ground. This brake is only to be brought into operation when it is desirable to stop the car on portions of the track that are too slippery to prevent the wheels obtaining a grip when the ordinary brake is applied to them. This brakeconsists of the two levers a a, having their forward ends provided with shoes or friction-blocks adapted to engage the large sprocket-wheel when their rear ends are forced apart by means of the bell-crank lever b. The arms are pivoted to the frame 5 at c, the bolt or pivot also securing the metal strap 0 in position. A rope or chain runs from the arm Z) of the lever b' to the front of the car and extends up inside the dashboard into a convenient position. To operate the brake this cord is pulled, which will tilt the crank and force the rear end of the arms a apart by reason of the stud d depending between said arms from the arm I) of the bellcrank. A spring f is connected to the arms I) of the bell-crank at one end and at its opposite end to the frame 5. This acts to return the brake to normal position after the strain on the rope or chain has been removed.

I claim- 1. In combination with a street car, the frame including the side bars pivoted to the car axle, the spur wheel journaled between the forward ends of said bars, driving connections from said spur wheel to the car axle, the U shaped spring having its arms con nected to the side bars, the vertical cylinder journaled at the end of the car and having a spiral groove, and the rod or plate extending up from the U spring and having a projection engaging the said groove, substantially'as described.

2. In combination with a street car, the frame pivoted to the axle thereof, the spur wheel journaled in said frame and driven from the car axle, the springs 21 for forcing said frame normally downward, the lifting device at the front of the car, and the spring connection interposed between said frame and the lifting device, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the car and the wheels and axle thereof, the horizontal frame connected at its rear end to the axle, the spur wheel carried by said frame, the vertical plate attached to the front of the car, the cam comprising the spirally grooved spindle, the spring connected to the forward end of the horizontal frame, the vertical frame, the head carried on the npperend of said vertical frame projecting into the groove in said cam, said cam being adapted to be rotated to depress said spur wheel and the means for returning said spur wheel to normal position.

4. In combination with a car and the supporting wheels and axle thereof, the spur wheel, the means for bringing said wheel into an operative position, the sprocket wheel carried by said spur wheel and the brake adapted to engage said sprocket wheel to prevent the rotation thereof and the spur wheel, whereby the progress of the car is prevented, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. BARNES.

Witnesses:

HENRY E. COOPER, WM. F. HALL. 

